Utility companies everywhere are faced with excessive electric power transmission and distribution losses. These losses occur due to the conversion of electricity to heat and electromagnetic energy. Ever since building the first electric power transmission line, this has simply been an accepted cost of doing business in the utility industry. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, national annual electricity transmission and distribution losses average about 7% of the electricity that is transmitted in the United States. If we compare this value to those submitted by other countries to the World Development Indicators (WDI) database, it is clear that 7% is a relatively modest number. A majority of countries face line loss problems of 20% or more, while others in less developed areas exceed line losses of up to 30%, and by doing so they are not only losing revenue (millions of dollars), but also causing higher emissions for the same amount of delivered electricity.
To manage the losses associated with the electric power transmission and distribution, voltage levels along the distribution line must be controlled. Traditional methods of reducing line losses involve the use of transformer taps or the installation of voltage regulators and bus capacitors at several locations for voltage control. However, these methods are coarse and do not provide a suitably rapid and precise control of voltage for reducing line losses in an optimal manner.
In light of the above, there is a need for systems, methods, and devices which provide dynamic voltage control to thereby minimize line losses.